Changing Ways
by Charlie Shephard
Summary: An alternate take on what could have happened between Shawn and Jules in One, Maybe Two, Ways Out.


**A/N: So this is my first Psych fic. I've written for Lost and Chuck as well, but had been on a hiatus of sorts when I saw _Shawn 2.0_ and the preview clips for _One, Maybe Two, Ways Out_ and this scenario just hit me. I wrote it as a few scenes that I thought may happen in the summer finale, but I wanted to wait to post it in case some people didn't want to know anything about the preview clips. Anyway, here it is... I'm not entirely happy with it, but I think that's because I keep comparing it to what actually happened... please, let me know what you think.**

**Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own Psych... but after yesterday, I'm convinced it's in pretty capable hands...**

Changing Ways

"I'm sorry, what's your name?" Juliet asked the pretty brunette woman politely, but clearly both annoyed at Shawn for showing up at Declan's house and at the same time slightly embarrassed.

"Nadia." Shawn quickly answered for her, "Her name is Nadia. And we have chemistry." He added as a jealous afterthought. If Juliet was going to flaunt Declan in his face all day, then Shawn had no problem fighting fire with fire. It had worked his entire life, why not now?

The blonde obviously caught the tone of his remark, "Shawn can I talk to you a minute?" She asked, before looking around at the other occupants of the room and adding, "In private."

"Sure, Jules." Shawn responded brightly, determined to keep any subtle signs of jealousy and anger as deep down as possible. It was the only reason he hadn't walked out of the house already, to be honest. Surely if Juliet knew how he felt about her, then she wouldn't have gone and jumped into… he decided not to finish that particular thought. It was probably better for his sanity in the long run.

They quickly made their way through a short hallway into the next room. It wasn't much consolation to Shawn, but he could tell that Juliet wasn't completely familiar with the place- a fact which did make him feel _slightly_ better. Suddenly the blonde detective, currently only wearing _his_ bathrobe, whirled around and strode right up to him. "What the hell are you doing here?" She asked venomously.

"I could ask you the same thing, but then again I wouldn't need the spirits to tell me what the answer to that question is, would I?" Shawn responded with an equal amount of vigor. If she wanted an argument, she'd get one. It's not like he'd done anything wrong, had he? _I guess there's a first time for everything._

"Shawn…" She warned, eyes glancing down toward her bare feet, "You have no idea what happened here last night. You—"

"Sure I do, you just told me exactly what happened here last night. Forgive me if I don't want to hear any more." Shawn said coldly, before turning to leave. He suddenly wasn't as excited to be involved in a real-life Bourne movie, but anything beat hearing about Declan "Eyelashes" Rand's sex escapades.

"Shawn, wait." Juliet called from behind him, causing him to stop halfway through the doorway and turn to face her. "Would it help if I apologized?" She asked softly.

"Apologize for what?" Shawn replied bitterly, "Having sex with a guy you met a week ago or flaunting it in my face? No need- obviously me and Gus just didn't make enough noise when we got here. It must have been hard to hear us _all the way _from Declan's bed."

Shawn caught the extremely quick look of regret that passed over the detective's features before it disappeared just as rapidly. "That's not fair, Shawn." She replied, not really able to say anything else.

"You're right. It's not fair." He said, talking about a completely different 'it' than Juliet. "You can apologize all you want, but right now, I really don't want to hear it." He said, turning around again to leave the room.

_Do not say what is going through your mind right now, Juliet. Don't do it. Whatever you do don't speak, _she thought as she watched Shawn stride purposefully toward the door. "You know what Shawn, I think you're just jealous because you haven't even been on a date since Abigail left you." She said scathingly, regretting it the instant it left her lips.

"Oh yea?" Shawn spit back, Juliet's last attack causing him to snap. "Well maybe there's a reason for that? Did you ever think of that? Maybe I haven't been looking for a date, because maybe, just maybe, every time I try there's one woman that I just _can't_ get out of my mind." He said, his voice getting louder with every word. He opened his mouth to continue his rant, but apparently thought better of it as he simply turned around once more and headed out the door.

"Have a good day, Detective."

Juliet slumped down into the chair she'd been standing in front of as she heard the door half slam closed and Shawn yell, "Come on Gus, let's get out of here. We don't need any help from them. They'd probably just betray us anyway." She'd come in here with the intention of telling Shawn that what he'd said at the precinct had really hurt her, and was probably what subconsciously pushed her toward Declan. She really was sorry that he'd found out this way and had every intention of telling him that, but when he'd called her Detective, she'd been crushed. She felt physically unable to talk. Not once had Shawn called her by that name; it was always Jules, with an occasional Juliet thrown in, but he'd never called her Detective.

At least, not until today.

4815162342 ==== 4815162342 ==== 4815162342 ==== 4815162342 ==== 4815162342 ==== 4815162342

Another week, another case solved. Well, in this case, it was more of a top-secret super spy mission, but still…solved. To make matters even better, he had successfully solved the case and avoided Juliet and her _boyfriend_ the entire time. _ That word hurts to even think about._

"Gus, we should do this every week. That was AWESOME. I mean, how many people can say they've been a part of a real life Bourne movie?" Shawn asked, rhetorically as usual. "That's right, Gus. Nobody. Explosions, stunts, super sexy secret agents who are totally in to me, betrayal… what else could you ask for?"

Gus rolled his eyes at his best friend's antics, "First of all Shawn, we jumped off a pier. That hardly qualifies as life threatening. They weren't even aiming at us. Second of all, there were no explosions. Third, that woman was _not _in to you; she was eyeing me up all week. And Lastly, Juliet deciding to get with Declan after you pushed her that way is not betrayal."

"You know what Gus?" Shawn retorted, ready to defend his point, but decided against it at the last minute. "Never mind. Let's go back to Psych, I'll grill some burgers and we'll watch a real spy movie. None of that unbelievable dodging bullet crap, outsmarting an entire city full of agents alone. Does anyone really believe that's possible?"

"Oh yea, and what movies did you have in mind?"

"Only the greatest movie ever made, Gus." Gus looked clueless, "_Goldeneye_, obviously." Shawn answered as if it was obvious, and Gus couldn't help but laugh.

"I've just got one question for you, Shawn. You sure you can find the grill? I'm not going to walk in on you grilling burgers over the sink am I?" Gus said as they pulled in to Psych and he turned the engine off.

"Hardy har har, Gus, very funny. For your _edification_", Shawn hadn't stopped using the word since he'd learned it from Lassie, "your humidifier looks totally like a coffee machine. They're practically twins. " Shawn said, getting out of the car.

"Yea, maybe to a blind person."

The pair headed in to the Psych office ready to unwind and relax after a hard weeks work. The moment Shawn stepped into the office though, he knew that the week was just about to get harder.

"Hi, Shawn." Juliet said, somewhat awkwardly.

Shawn though didn't respond, shocked that she was actually standing in front of him after their fight earlier this week, and still upset over the damn Declan debacle. _Say that three times fast_, he thought to himself.

"Oh, hi Juliet." Gus said as he walked in seconds behind Shawn. Sensing the tension in the air though, he quickly excused himself. "You know what, I totally forgot Shawn. I still have to finish my route this week. I'll see you later." He said, rushing back out the way he came.

"Shawn, I know you're pretty mad at me right now, and I understand that finding out about… Declan that way sucked—" Juliet began to explain, before she was interrupted.

"Look, I really don't wanna hear about him right now. It's hard enough to get Gus and my dad to stop talking about him." Shawn said shaking his head softly. "So if that's what you're here about—"

"It's not." Juliet answered quickly. "Well, most of it isn't anyway."

"Ok, fine." Shawn said, drawing out the first syllable. "What are you here for then?"

"I was kind of hoping that I could take you up on that offer from last week. You know, before…" Juliet asked softly, realizing it was very much a touchy subject.

"Yea, I remember." Shawn replied, "Why now?"

"Well, you said you had something important to tell me, before…you know. I just want you to know that I'm still here for you. You can tell me anything." Juliet finished, hoping to convince Shawn that appearance of Declan didn't change their relationship, knowing full well he'd turned it upside down.

_Sure, it's convenient for her to listen to me now. Declan's probably off somewhere spending his billions on a yacht so she's got some down time. Why should I open up to her now after all that's happened between us? What is there to gain? It's not like Jules is going to drop Eyelashes and fly into my arms, no matter how much I might want her to. I've kept up this stupid psychic charade for five years now, what's to say I can't do it for another five at least? It hadn't exactly been hard._

As he argued with himself, his dad's words from his childhood echoed through his mind, _"Bad things happen when we become complacent, Shawn."_

_Complacency. Right up at the top of my 'hate' list along with Declan Rand, Yin, and the bastard that decided _StarWars_ needed prequels. He hadn't become that complacent, had he? It was the fear that had driven him away from Juliet, even if complacency had gotten him into the mess in the first place. If I'd just told my ego to shut up and been honest when Jules had offered to reschedule with Declan, we could be tangled up on the couch instead of standing on opposite sides of the room. _This entire week could have been completely different if he could've finally admitted to himself that he's in love with the blonde enigma standing in front of him now. If only he would just stop lying to himself.

_I love Juliet O'Hara. _It felt good to think, to say to himself. That moment alone felt better, more liberating, than he had all week. The next few minutes were either going to turn out to be the best of his life, or tonight he'd either be behind bars or at the Mexican border._ Screw it._

"Ok, let's go." Shawn said, making his way past Juliet to the back door of the office and out on to the boardwalk. A few seconds of uncomfortable silence passed, before Shawn spoke up. "Can I ask you something?"

"Anything, Shawn. Anything." Juliet answered, and Shawn didn't hear a shred of doubt or apprehension in her voice.

"Did you ever have any intention of rescheduling with Declan?"

"Shawn, I meant what I said. I'd only just met him. I would have gladly gone to the wedding with you, but you…" Juliet paused, as if the memory of the conversation was still somewhat painful. "When you told me that you didn't want _me_ to go, and you were giving me something to do I got mad. I'm not going to lie Shawn, it still hurts. It took you almost five years to seriously ask me out on a date… and then you told me that it wasn't actually about _me_. It crushed me."

_I am such an idiot, why did I have to get so damn defensive. _"Oh. So you're saying that if I had—" Shawn began.

"I don't know Shawn. Maybe." Juliet answered honestly. "Can I ask you something now?"

Shawn laughed softly, "Seems only fair."

"What were you going to tell me that day? I _was _going to go on that walk, but when Declan started talking, I kind of got sidetracked."

"Yea, I understand. He has a habit of beating me to the punch at the worst of times." Shawn replied, _the lucky bastard._ Shawn slowed his pace, and gestured Juliet toward an open bench overlooking the Pacific, before sitting down next to her.

"I was going to tell you that the truth is Jules, I'm not a psychic."

Shawn kept staring straight out into the ocean, bracing himself for either the clack of her heels as she walked off, or the impact of her fist into his upper body followed by the click of the handcuffs locking, but neither came. After about fifteen seconds, he steeled himself and glanced toward Juliet, who looked back with shock all over her beautiful features.

"Not even a little bit." He added, trying to get her to respond. "Jules, please say something. Anything."

"But… how?"

"I have an eidetic memory. I can remember just about everything I've ever done in vivid detail. Combine that with the lifetime of lessons I learned from my super cop Dad, and you get someone who apparently can pretend to be psychic for the police." Shawn explained, shame and guilt racking his voice.

"Why lie about it Shawn?" Juliet asked, a hurt expression on her face. "To everyone. To _me?" _

"I used to call in tips for Lassie, and eventually he figured that the only way I could know so much about the crimes is if I was on the inside. He was going to lock me away unless I told him how I knew all that information. So, I lied. I said I was psychic, and the Chief gave me a free pass provided I wasn't lying to them."

Juliet was silent for the longest time. It felt like hours before she finally spoke. "But how could you lie to me for five years, Shawn, I thought we were closer than that?"

"Because I'm a coward, Jules. I haven't just been lying to you, but I've been lying to myself too. I had so many opportunities to tell you I'm a phony, but there was always something holding me back- something that's not going away time soon."

"So what's holding you back, Shawn?"

"I'm in love with you." He finally admitted, and felt better for it already. "I thought that if I told you I was a fake our relationship would never be the same again. Because, even without psychic powers, I _know_ how important honesty is to you."

"Shawn. I don't really know what to say." Juliet said, tears welling up in her eyes, "I mean, you said that _I _had bad timing…"

Despite the gravity of the situation, Shawn couldn't help but laugh at the irony of the situation. "You don't have to say anything, Jules. I wanted someone to blame for letting you slip away. When I saw you in that robe at Declan's house, you just fell into the role, and I'm sorry for attacking you like that. It's not like you did anything wrong."

Juliet wiped the tears from her eyes, "And you were going to tell me all this last week? You know… before Declan?"

Shawn stood up from the bench, and turned around to face Juliet. He picked his head up from the floor and opened his mouth to respond when he heard the very last voice he wanted to hear.

"Juliet! I thought I'd find you here." Declan Rand greeted Juliet before turning to Shawn, "Hi Shawn. Am I interrupting something?"

Smiling softly, Shawn shook his head to Declan. It was like life was purposely screwing with him. The second he was about to open his mouth and tell Juliet to ask her boyfriend who'd planted the idea in his head to confess, the man himself shows up. Seeing him now though, he knew he couldn't do that to her, he loved her too much. Obviously, Declan made her happy and as much as he hated to admit it, he'd heard the saying before. "No, actually, I was just leaving." He said, spinning on his heel, but stopping when he heard Juliet's voice from over his shoulder.

"You never answered my question, Shawn." She said sternly, searching his eyes for an answer.

"It doesn't really matter now, does it?" He replied softly, before turning once more and walking off down the beach. A million things should have been running through mind, like the fact that an SBPD detective now knew he'd committed a major felony every day for the past five years, but none of that seemed to matter now.

He trusted Juliet with his life, and he trusted Juliet with his heart. If she thought that he deserved to be put away for what he'd done, then he'd accept the consequences. He was done putting up walls when life got serious; he was done lying to himself. Today was the day that Shawn Spencer changed, and today was the day that Shawn Spencer stopped running from everything good in his life. As for Juliet…

If they were meant to be, then they were meant to be.

**A/N: Well that's it. I hope you liked it.**


End file.
